Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie is officially a go and will shoot in September

It's been a wild ride regarding Joaquin Phoenix's involvement in the Joker origin movie, with the actor frequently alternating between playing coy and claiming not to have any idea about the project, but those days are finally at an end now that THR has reported that Phoenix has finalized his deal to star in the film. That's right, the Joker origin movie is officially a go. I think I can hear Jared Leto sweating.

The film, which will be directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (THE HANGOVER), is being described by the studio as an "exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale." With Joaquin Phoenix now officially on board, shooting is expected to begin this September in New York. Here we go. The film will fall under a yet-to-be-announced banner of DC Films which will allow different stories to be told which aren't included in the current cinematic universe. Warner Bros. hasn't given the film a release date yet, but I'd imagine that it might be a special case as the project is meant to be different from other comic-book movies. Depending on how production shakes out, THR says that there's even a chance that we could see the film hit theaters as early as late 2019. No rush, Warner Bros. This could potentially set the stage for something quite unique. Get it right.The budget will fall somewhere in the $55 million range, which will allow the film to be "darker and more experimental in tone and content." In addition to the Joaquin Phoenix Joker project, Warner Bros. is also developing a standalone Joker film for Jared Leto as well. Dueling Jokers. I'm down.

According to Deadline, Martin Scorsese will no longer be directly producing the film as his schedule is full, but Emma Tillinger Koskoff, president of production for Scorsese's Sikelia Productions, will be stepping up to fill the role. (This information was edited in later - KF)